Nephilim
by LeMistressV
Summary: What is the Promised Land? A paradise, perhaps? But under new management, paradise is a dream. When a cataclysmic war surfaces, all Hell breaks loose. Now, 7 Chosen Ones must join forces to stop the madness. But there is a problem. Who is the 7th? Cloti
1. Part I: Ch1 The Pillaging of Wutai

**Nephilim**

By LeMistressV

**Disclaimer**: I do not own FFVII or any of the characters, so please do not sue. I DO, however, own the other characters not in FFVII. -

**Overall Summary**: Hell's Angels seek to merge the Underworld with the Human world. But it is not to make the appearance of a second Hell, but a Second Heaven. In its creation, the Human world will be ruled by a stronger species, and the battle amongst the Angels will ensue. There is only ONE room for ONE Heaven. But the merge cannot be without the awakening of the Holy Grail. Both Angels and Demons alike will fight to possess such powers, and it's up to the Nephilim, God's chosen seven, to guard it. But there is one problem. Who is the Seventh Nephilim?

**Part 1**

**Summary:** 2 years after Sephiroth's defeat, Cloud and his party members are scattered throughout the world. But something mysterious occurs, and one by one, each party member disappears. Trouble brews as well, and all is not safe in the world. A new government arises and taints the world of impurities. But the biggest mystery is...What's the Neo-Shinra Faction got to do with the Underworld?

**Prologue**

Antares looked indifferently at his surroundings. They all meant nothing to him. What did _he_ care about them anyway? They were not of _his_ concern.

A hand slipped quietly towards the silken drapes, parting them effortlessly with a single touch. From the parted drapes, a glimmer of light peeked inside shyly. It beamed ever so pure inside the room and kissed the pale, ivory cheek of the fair beauty lying in a sleep on the large four-poster bed.

There came a soft moan and eyes fluttered open instantly. "Antares…don't…"

But Antares paid her no heed. Moving his hand, he widened the silken drapes a little more. Bright light continued to seep into the room, much more stronger than before.

The fair beauty writhed slightly in her bed, the light pouring over her. "Antares!"

Suddenly, Antares's hand fell to his side, and the silken drapes fell limply back into place, extinguishing the shimmering light. Antares remained still for a moment, wondering what had stopped him. Quietly, his gaze rested on his arm and he turned.

"Crux."

Crux held Antares's hand firmly in his grasp. A small scowl creased his eyebrows and his mouth grew stern. "What are you doing here?"

Antares tried to move away from Crux's grip. Realizing he could never beat Crux's strength, he gave no struggle and remained aloof as possible. With a sigh he answered coolly, "Can I not roam for my own pleasure?"

Crux's grip remained steadfast on Antares's arm. He raised an eyebrow; his suspicions were growing. "You of all people should know what you can and cannot do," he said in a low whisper. "If anything were to happen to her, you _and_ I are not going to be the only ones to pay for it."

Antares's gaze shifted to the fair beauty lying in the bed, once again at rest. "I'm tired…I'm tired of waiting…Many will suffer for this…"

**Chapter 1**

**The Pillaging of Wutai**

"Find her! Find her at once!"

A young ninja in her late teens dove underneath a wooden cart, quickly hiding herself from sight. Pressing a hand over her mouth to quiet her breathing, she peered out carefully into the surroundings through a hole borne through the side of the wooden cart.

From the looks of it, soldiers were running about Wutai, searching for something or someone. A hunt was taking place in the streets of Wutai. A manhunt.

There was smoke in the air. The beautiful town was quickly obliterated as the soldiers ransacked through it. One by one, houses and structures collapsed, succumbing to the flames. From a distance, the Yu Pagoda was ablaze. The inferno consumed it within minutes, turning it into ash.

Nearby, Yuffie spotted a group of soldiers shouting to one another. A part of her wanted to ram her shuriken into their skulls. But she suppressed the urge, knowing even she could never fight so many people and win.

"Where _is_ she?" a gruff voice spoke up, walking closely to the cart Yuffie hid under.

"Sir! We lost track of her once she ran out of the Pagoda," another voice replied, the back of his heels facing Yuffie. "She couldn't have gotten – "

Yuffie winced as the soldier was struck heavily in the stomach. She watched as he doubled over in pain and knelt before his commanding officer's feet. Although she felt no pity for the soldier, the power of the blow gave her shivers down her spine.

"Idiot!" the first voice spoke up once again. "She could have gone anywhere! I want her found and silenced now! Do I make myself _clear_, _boy_?"

There was a muffled whimper and the second soldier moved off the ground. "Yes…sir!"

"No mistakes. I want you to bring her to me . Once she's out of the picture, we'll have Wutai completely to the Neo-Shinra Faction's control."

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Good. The rest of you move to the dojo. Burn and kill whoever you find hiding in there. There will be no mercy in the new revolution!"

"But sir! lives are in there! We should give them the option of surrendering to us before we kill anymore. This really isn't necessary!" a new voice protested.

"You idiot! You go against the government's decree? All who oppose the revolution are branded traitors and must die a traitor's ! All who harbor traitors are committing treason themselves!"

Yuffie shoved her fist into her mouth to keep herself from screaming in rage. Her pulsed quickly through her veins and her heart pounded at a furious rate. Yet, she kept quiet as she bit harder on her fist, drawing a trickle of from her hand.

The soldiers were after _her_. They wanted to kill _her_! There was no option but to hide.

Yet, the sudden thought of the families and people seeking refuge at her father's house made Yuffie dart out of her hiding place. She was not going to allow the of more bloodshed, especially in her father's house.

_Since when have _you_ become so saintly?_ the young ninja thought to herself, scrambling out of the cart and darting quickly into the deserted alleys of Wutai. Maybe, if she ran fast enough, she could warn her old man before the soldiers came. Maybe if she just ran faster…

Holding on to false hope, Yuffie ran with all her might to the dojo, discarding the fact that she would be seen. She had to save them. She had to warn them to run. There had to be a way…

Suddenly, a strange smell met Yuffie's nostrils, causing her eyes to widen with fear. _No! No! It's not true!_ She thought to herself in anguish as she ran even faster to the dojo. She was desperate now. Desperate to save what was left of Wutai. Desperate to save even her old man.

Within a few paces away, Yuffie found the large dojo ablaze. Soldiers had barricaded the doors and windows and there were cries of and distress coming from the inside. She was too late. Within minutes nothing would be left of them.

"Old man!" Yuffie cried out in desperation, forgetting her fear of being killed by the soldiers. With a fierce cry she threw her shuriken with inhuman speed at the soldiers in her way, immediately them within a few seconds. With the rest of the soldiers stunned at the heroically foolish act, Yuffie rammed with all her might at the barricaded doors and tumbled into the burning dojo.

"Shoot her!"

Yuffie heard bullets fired her way but she paid them no heed. She had to find her old man. As she made her way through the smoke filled corridors, she stumbled across a few stray citizens crouching in as the flames came near them.

"Lady Yuffie!"

Yuffie roughly tugged on one of the citizens and almost threw him forward. "Where's my old man?" she demanded impatiently.

The citizen trembled and pointed through the corridors. "At the center, m'lady!"

Yuffie nodded and instructed the man and his companions to find as many people as possible trapped inside the dojo and make a run for it towards D'Chao. She then rushed through the corridors in search of her father.

As she made her way quickly through the corridors, it grew difficult for the young ninja to breathe. Her lungs were failing her and the smoke was growing thicker. Twice she had almost lost her life when wooden beams crashed before her. Still, she refused to be killed so easily and forced her way into the center of the dojo.

Suddenly, something flew at Yuffie, and she gave a pained cry. She stumbled onto the floor, feeling warm ooze out of her shoulder. Clutching the new wound with her one hand, she pushed herself off the ground and scampered off, throwing the sliding doors open before her.

"Dad! Dad!" she panted, out of breath.

A loud thud greeted Yuffie as she entered the room. Something heavy and round rolled to her feet. Yuffie felt her boots dampen. It was wet and sticky…

She peered down below her feet to see what had rolled to her. Suddenly, she gave a shrill shriek and fell onto the floor. She couldn't stop screaming. She couldn't stop gazing at it. She wouldn't believe any of it.

The wood suddenly ed and gave way, sending the roof crashing down, blocking the doors Yuffie had come from. In a panic, she staggered to her feet and tried to run to the secret exit at the end of the room. She was growing dizzy, and it was getting harder for her to think. In a matter of minutes she would either die from suffocation, or from the fire.

Yuffie staggered quickly towards the large Buddha figure at the end of the room, trying to reach the secret exit. But it was too late. Another part of the ceiling had collapsed, and Yuffie had nowhere to escape. She was trapped.

* * *

"…Welcome back folks…Now we've got some ground breaking news that will startle the whole world…A brutal and unexpected attack…" 

Reeves looked up from his large Mog robot and glanced at the TV screen.

"…There's been an attack on Wutai a few hours ago, and the culprits behind this are still unknown. Much of the city has been destroyed and currently, no survivors have been found…" the newsman reported slowly, allowing viewers to take in the full impact of the story.

Reeves immediately dropped the wrench in his hand with a plop and stared in wide-eyed horror at the TV screen.

"…Here's a glimpse of the destroyed Wutai…"

The TV screen flashed to a different scene as the camera slowly panned through the destroyed Wutai. As the camera panned left and right, smoke could be seen still from some of the buildings, while other buildings, or what used to be, were completely ashes. stained the streets, and a few burnt bodies were displayed before the camera.

Reeves could not believe his eyes. _Wutai? Wutai's been destroyed?_ he thought is disbelief.

But that was not the rest of the damage. Soon, the camera slowly moved to a new location in Wutai. At first the area seemed completely unrecognizable…

"My God!" Reeves gasped, his eyes widening in disgust and alarm. There, right before him on the TV screen, were the remains of Wutai's prized buildings. Yet, what disturbed him the most was the completely burned dojo – Godo's house. Nothing was left of it except for ash and pieces of charred wood. Not even burned bodies were seen littering the area.

"…My God…Terrible. Who could have done this?" the newsman growled in disgust as more footage of the destroyed Wutai continued to roll.

Reeves slowly sank onto his sofa, his eyes wide open in disbelief. Yes, the news of Wutai being completely obliterated troubled him, but something else caused his heart to sink. He had seen something that had confirmed his worries the moment he heard the news.

Although it was unclear, there, buried underneath the rubble of Wutai's dojo rested a giant weapon shaped like a four pointed star.

"Yuffie…"


	2. Part I: Ch2 The Heist

Chapter 2

The Heist

Tifa drew in a deep breath, trying to keep as still as possible. Beads of sweat formed on her head as she hung there completely motionless.

Tifa was suspended 100 feet in the air, upside-down over what appeared to be an active reactor. The harness that held her was quite questionable. It seemed rather unstable for use. Still, it was the only thing Tifa could use to lower herself down into the vault and back up the vent again.

_Why'd they have to make these rooms so high?_ Tifa thought to herself as she tried to focus. The blood rushing to her head was distracting her concentration.

"Tifa, you awright?" a voice whispered quietly from the vent concealed above the ceiling.

Tifa gulped and glanced up at the ceiling. She was beginning to feel dizzy. The blood rushing to her head was not exactly a comfortable feeling. But she was the only one light enough to sneak into the room undetected. Yuffie would have been first choice, but her loyalties were questionable and there was so far no word from her. Her disappearance was strange.

"Ah…" Tifa gasped, feeling the harness slip slightly. "I…I'm fine. J…just lower me down," she replied nervously. God, what she would do to get out the situation. She knew Barret was right about stopping a new organization from rising into power, but breaking into some old reactor was a little too risky for comfort.

Tifa felt herself being lowered down onto the platform bellow her, and she forced herself not to wriggle against the harness. The rough material was beginning to cut into her abdomen.

Suddenly, she heard Barret curse and felt the harness shake slightly. Glancing up towards the vent she asked, "What's wrong?"

"This damn thing won't go any lower," Barret grumbled irritably.

Tifa sighed and threw her head back in frustration. "All right," she began, taking in a deep breath. Scanning the room, she tried to find something that would swing her down onto the floor. The feat was going to be difficult.

"Barret, swing me to that ramp over there," Tifa finally replied, pointing towards a rather rickety looking catwalk a few meters away from her.

"That looks too risky, Tifa. That could fall apart any second now. Don't think it'll hold your weight," Barret noted, glancing at the catwalk's rusty railings.

"Just do it," Tifa said, beginning to swing herself towards the catwalk. Taking in a deep breath, she prayed the harness would hold her securely as she swung in the air. Even as she was hanging still, she could feel the straps tear ever so slightly the more she moved.

Barret gave a defeated sigh and complied with Tifa's order. "Awright. But you're gonna have to get yourself out of this one." And with that, he began to swing Tifa gently in the air, careful not to tear the straps that held her.

Tifa reached forward as the railings grew closer to her fingertips. She was so close to reaching it. Just a little more and she could…

"Hey you up there! What do you think you're doing?"

Tifa heard Barret swear loudly, and the fire of gunshots. She jerked her head back towards Barret's direction and suddenly gasped, feeling a snap against the harness. The straps tore off, and she fell dangerously close to the glowing liquid below her.

With a surprised cry, Tifa threw herself towards the catwalk, her arms outstretched as she tried to reach it. She was reaching, thrusting her arms forward. She was so close…

Jackpot!

Her hands felt the cold, rusty feeling of metal, and she immediately closed her fingers around the railing. She made it safely. _Ah, no sweat there_,__ she thought to herself, hanging on to the rusty railing. So close now. All she had to do was haul herself up…

The catwalk groaned against Tifa's weight and shook. It was too weak to hold Tifa as she hauled herself onto it. She would be pummeling down the glowing liquid in a matter or seconds.

Taking a deep breath, Tifa forced herself to think and clear her mind. Glancing at the vent she had swung down from, she noticed lights flashing and the sound of bullets zooming in the air. There was no way Barret was going to help her out of this one.

The catwalk groaned once again as Tifa pushed herself onto the platform. Suddenly, it gave a loud snap, and the catwalk snapped off from one of its hinges. Tifa was now holding on for dear life as she dangled in the air with one hand gripping the railing.

"Barret! Barret, I can't hold on!" Tifa cried out, feeling the catwalk slowly snap away from its other hinge. She was going to fall…

* * *

"Take this, you jackasses!!!"

Barret pointed his gun arm towards the soldiers approaching him and fired. He was going to shoot every last one of them.

"Barret! Barret, I can't hold on!"

The large man swore loudly as he heard Tifa's desperate cry for help. There was no time. He _had_ to get Tifa out of there before something happened to her.

A bullet zoomed dangerously close to Barret's head, missing him by a mere inch.

_Damn! Don't get distracted!_ he thought to himself, ducking from the incoming bullets. Glancing in front of him, he noticed a few soldiers call for help, ceasing their firing. Shaking his head, he took a deep breath. _God. This is suicide!_

"Call for backup! I need backup over here!"

_ Now's my chance! _

Without warning, Barret fired his gun once again as he charged through the large vent, firing at the soldiers coming towards him. He had to hurry. He would never forgive himself if he got Tifa killed.

"ARGH! GET OUT OF MY WAY MOTHER%$##%!!!!"


	3. Part I: Ch3 A Proclamation for War

**Chapter 3**

A Proclamation for War

The town of Neibelheim was still. It remained undisturbed. From Meteor's destruction, Neibelheim grew silent. The inhabitants fled away in fear. There was nobody left. Not even the strange men with the numbered tattoos dressed in black.

Life, as it seemed, had perished from the town. Not even a single monster roamed its streets. The silence was deafening.

"…Mmm…"

Ruby lips moved into a subtle smile. She was close; so very close. She could almost taste him.

Opal eyes moved idly about the town, taking in the setting carefully. Slowly, it rested on the large manor perched at the very end of the town.

He was there…

She licked her lips in anticipation. "Mmm, I'll be coming for you…You won't escape me…"

* * *

The mansion was dark and empty. It reeked of rotting wood and dried blood. Mold was creeping up the walls and ceilings. Insects crawled along the wooden panels, scurrying about in a hurry. The curtains were drawn completely over the windows. No light seeped into the darkened halls.

A match struck against the wall, the sound echoing throughout the halls. A soft glow soon illuminated the walls.

There came an abrupt creak, and a door swung open. A figure emerged from the room, dressed completely in black. As he made his way out of the room, his eyes met the fiery glow of the flames and his eyes glowed a deep crimson.

_"What's wrong?" _

Vincent Valentine shook his head, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. There was nobody there. He was officially the only person left in Neibelheim. Only solitude surrounded him now.

_But if that were so…Why am I awake?_ he thought to himself, moving through the halls cautiously. Instinct told him his solitude would soon be disrupted. Something was drawing near.

There was a soft rustle, and a breeze entered the mansion.

Vincent glanced quickly to his left and moved stealthily in the shadows. Pressing himself close to the wall, he felt for the doorknob, wondering if some creature had broken into one of the rooms. As his hand found the rusty knob, the door suddenly slid open, catching him by surprise.

Vincent peered inside the room and immediately spotted the source of the rustling. It was the open window at the very end of the room. Cautiously, he moved towards it, wondering how it had opened on its own. _Nothing_ was supposed to move on its own.

Examining the open window, the brooding man found shards of glass littered on the floor. Curiously, he picked up a shard from the floor and examined it. There was no mistake. Vincent had company.

There was a loud thud, and Vincent immediately turned to the source of the noise. A book had slipped off its bookshelf and plopped open.

Vincent eyed the book with suspicion as he moved towards it. There was something scrawled in crimson ink across the pages. The handwriting was in a hurried script and the ink glistened from the candle's flame. It was still wet.

Blood. Vincent smelled blood.

Slowly, the pages began to turn by themselves. The blood scrawled onto the musty pages became clear:

**There…is…no…hope…for…the…damned. **

"Hello, Valentine."

Vincent dropped the book in his hands and rose up to his feet. Facing him was a woman perched against a small table. Her ruby lips curled into a smile and she brought her fingers up to her face. Her nails were dripping in blood.

"What do you want?" Vincent whispered quietly, moving to his feet. He stared at the pale face for a long moment. He knew that face. The entire Underworld did. "Why are you here?"

She smiled, her long, ruby nails dripping with crimson blood. Her tanned skin gave an odd glow from the candle. Rising to her feet, she slowly approached Vincent. "I've come to bring you hope."

Vincent never expected what came next…

* * *

"Hmm…"

The blood dripped down her forearm. But it was not _her_ blood.

She smiled, pearly white teeth flashing. The man had been weak. Weakened by drowning in his self-pity. It was all too easy. _He didn't even put up a fight,_ she thought to herself, licking her lips. _Pity._

"Looks like _someone's_ had a little _too_ much fun here."

There was a rustle of wind, and a figure emerged from the dark.

The woman smirked, glancing at the newcomer. "Hmph. A bit late, aren't we, Crux? For a Judge, I would _think_ you'd be a bit more punctual," she remarked, licking the blood off her claws. She moved towards the figure and sheathed her claws. "Pity…you missed a good killing…"

"That's enough, Astraea. How much more have to die before we find the Chosen? You've killed enough to prove your point," the figure spoke coolly.

"My point?" She grinned. "Hmm, my dear Crux. I'm not trying to prove _any_thing." She turned and moved away, beginning to laugh to herself. "Believe me, Crux. This is only the beginning. Sacrifices must be made. You and I both know that. I'm just doing what God ordained me to do."

"Astraea, do _not_ do this. You _cannot_ do this."

"Really now?" The woman glanced at the figure and smirked, her ruby red lips streaked with blood. "Then try and stop me." And with that, she was gone.

* * *

The pendulum began to swing, its ticking sound echoing off into the darkness. It swung once.

_A man in the darkness…_

It swung twice.

_A fight…_

Three times.

_…Blood… _

"Astraea, don't!"

She gave a horrified shriek and jolted awake. Her hand was thrust forcefully into the air, as if she had been reaching for something.

The ticking stopped. The pendulum was gone. Again there was only darkness.

She had been dreaming. It was all a dream…A mere trick in her mind…She was safe. There was nothing to be afraid of.

For a long moment, she sat completely motionless in the darkness, relishing the silence. Her silver-green eyes gave off an eerie glow as she gaped out into the distance. Finally, she took a small breath and ran a pale hand over her head, sighing.

"It's just a dream. Just a silly little dream," she murmured softly, trying to still her trembling hands. "But…" She closed her silver eyes and inhaled carefully. "…they have never been wrong…ever…" She moved her hands to her chest and clutched them tightly together.

In the darkness, she prayed…Prayed for mercy…Prayed for a miracle. 


	4. Part I: Ch4 The Cave of Gi

**Chapter 4**

**The Cave of Gi**

"Wutai's been what?!"

Cid's hand shook violently as he clutched the phone to his ear. A surge of emotions suddenly overcame him as his jaw dropped in horror. _It couldn't be true. Wutai? Gone? But how? Why?_ The questions raced through his mind like a time bomb ready to explode. There had been no sign of any kind of threat against Wutai at all.

"Are you $%&$ing serious?!" the pilot growled, literally yelling into the mouthpiece.

"The newscasters have just confirmed it. It's all over the news," came the reply. It was Reeves.

Cid swore loudly and jolted out of his couch. "SHERAAAAA!!!! TURN ON THAT GODDAMN TV!!!" he yelled through the top of his lungs.

Shera, a petite woman with large, round glasses framing her face, scowled. She spun around quickly, holding up a tray full of tea in both hands. "But you've just–"

"THEN FIX THE DAMN THING ALREADY! MOVE MOVE!" the pilot roared, momentarily forgetting about Reeves on the other line.

Almost immediately, Shera put down the tray she had been holding and moved towards the decapitated television. "Right away, sir!" she said, picking up a wrench from nearby and beginning to reattach the TV's scattered parts. _If only the captain hadn't decided to rob the TV for spare parts, _then_ maybe I could get it to work!_ she thought glumly to herself.

Cid grumbled frustratingly to himself as he paced the room quickly. It was only when he heard the faint voice echoing from the phone did he realize Reeves was still on the other line.

"Cid? You there?"

Cid held up the phone over his ear once again and took a deep breath. "Yeah…How bad is it?" he asked anxiously. "Did they find anything?"

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Finally, Reeves took a deep breath and replied quietly, "Nothing…there's nothing left. Except…"

* * *

"But the Five Mighty Gods! D'Chao! Leviathan!" Red XIII stammered, completely shaken by the startling news. "How can Wutai be so devastated without anyone knowing anything? Surely Wutai was strong enough to defend all this?" 

The black cat shook its head and shrugged. "Who knows? I'm just the messenger here. All I know is that Wutai's been burned to the ground. Not even the D'Chao survived. From the looks of it, the entire mountain's been blown to smithereens. Whoever did this took extra precautions to make sure there were no survivors," it replied.

"My God…"

Red XIII shook his head and looked up at the Observatory. "This is too terrible…Who would do such a thing? And why?"

Cait Sith shook its head. "No one knows for sure. Perhaps it's a declaration of war," it suggested, following the red animal through Cosmos Canyon.

"Yes, but why Wutai? Last time I checked, it was just getting along on its feet. But it still relied on tourism to keep its economy stable."

"Maybe whoever did this saw Wutai as a formidable foe," the black cat offered, moving his giant mog carefully through the narrow passages.

Red XIII was not convinced. "A crippled city…a foe? I don't buy it. There's nothing to gain from that," he answered flatly, hurrying up the stairs. "If you ask me, there's nothing to gain from completely destroying Wutai. I think it's a warning. A sign that no city is safe…"

Cait Sith gave an uneasy purr. "What do you mean?"

"Well, with no trace of evidence on gaining Wutai's economic resources at all, I'd have to say that whoever destroyed such a city would be using this moment to gain publicity," Red XIII explained calmly.

"What?" Cait Sith asked, clearly puzzled by the new revelation. "Red, I think you've lost me there."

"Think about it," the large animal replied. "Using an isolated city on the far side of the world makes perfect sense for a wakening call. First of all, many are caught unaware of any incoming attacks because it's not near any towns or cities. Second, the tourism over there makes it a number one hotspot for the media. Almost nothing can get away from the media once something happens at Wutai. And third…" Red XIII paused for a long moment, gazing up at the starry sky.

"Third?" Cait Sith prompted eagerly.

Red XIII looked away from the sky and licked a paw. "…Third…Nobody would expect such a random city to be destroyed…meaning…any town…any city…could be next…Someone's trying to get a message across to the whole world."

"Yeah, and it's 'Bow down or die!'" the black cat growled irritably. "Maybe Wutai knew something no one else knew. And maybe someone was intent on keeping that secret to the grave."

"Perhaps," Red XIII responded calmly. "That does sound like a rational reason. But like I said, with all the destruction in Wutai, it's hard to find any evidence or motives behind it."

Suddenly, Red XIII came to a halt and glanced at Cait Sith. He suddenly looked worried. "Yuffie! What about Yuffie? Any news from her?"

It was then that Cait Sith wished more than anything in his life never to be a messenger. Red XIII was not going to take the news well. "Well," it said, pausing for a moment. "Among the body count…there are a few bodies missing…Yuffie's being one of them…"

Red XIII fell back and shook his head. "No…then maybe she…"

Cait Sith shook its head. "I'm afraid not…Turns out that they found a giant Shuriken buried into the ground where the dojo used to be…" Again it paused, trying to swallow the lump in its throat. This was getting harder to say by the minute. "Yuffie…Yuffie was inside when the dojo collapsed…"

* * *

Red XIII was at a loss for words. The news of Yuffie's presumed death was too much to handle. Sullenly, he rested his head against his forearms and thought to himself. Cait Sith had tried contacting the rest of the 'old crew' to see if everything was okay. The thought that only Cid answered was not a comforting thought. No one else seemed to be answering. 

_Either they're busy with something, or something's come up. Who knows what's going on,_ the animal thought to himself, eyeing the tourists entering the modest inn of Cosmo Canyon.

But who knew for sure what was to become of his friends. After the defeat of Meteor and Sephiroth, the group seemed to separate without a say. It seemed that the threat on the world was the only thing that brought them together in the first place. Vincent, in killing Hojo, had nothing else to live for and decided to live the rest of his life in seclusion. Thus, he left for Nibelheim and was never heard from again.

Yuffie left for quite obvious reasons. After taking most of the Gil the group owned and some of the Materia, the troublesome ninja went off to Wutai in an effort to save the tourist dependant town. But Yuffie was no ingrate. She often kept in contact with Cloud and the rest of the group. She also claimed to go "legit," once Wutai was back on its feet. Knowing Yuffie, Red XIII was doubtful the young ninja had ever kept her promise.

As for Cid, he went back to his humble abode in Rocket Town, boasting to anyone who would listen that he was going to build another rocket to take him to space. Like Yuffie, he too kept in touch with his friends, but he refused to leave Rocket Town until his "space projects" were complete.

Red XIII blinked as he continued to reminisce the fate of his old friends. Although he was reluctant to leave the group, he was eager to help Cosmo Canyon move on after the death of his grandfather. Sometimes, Barret of AVALANCHE would stop by to see how the animal was settling in. But often, the large man would have to leave on AVALANCHE duties or diplomatic relations dealing with Corel. He was, after all, the new Mayor of Corel, and so he appointed Cait Sith to be his assistant, aiding him in current events.

However, the most troubling thought dwelling into Red XIII's mind was the rift between Cloud and Tifa. The group never dreamed something would happen to the two, but apparently, Cloud and Tifa soon drifted apart as well. The signs pained Red XIII when the problem first arose. Silently, he would watch by the sidelines as Tifa and Cloud argued on for hours. But no matter how hard Tifa tried to keep the group together, Cloud left without a single 'goodbye' and left to the North. Tifa was left to care for Marlene at Kalm, but often traveled to visit old friends.

Red XIII couldn't help but admire Tifa. From the time he had spent with her, he knew how she felt about being alone, and she had somehow managed to live through the situation. The thought somehow managed to ease Red's troubled thoughts for the time being.

"Hey, did you hear that?"

The red animal looked up from his reverie and glanced over at the large Mog beside him. He had forgotten Cait Sith was still with him. "Hear what?" he asked, blinking.

The black cat looked around nervously. "I knew I heard _something_," it mumbled. "About this place, didn't you say there's some spooky cave underneath it?"

Red yawned, tired from the day's events. "It used to be a secret passage to the Canyon," he replied calmly. "But now it's been sealed since the old souls of the Gi still linger within it."

"So you mean there are ghosts here at Cosmo Canyon?" Cait Sith asked, gulping nervously.

"Don't worry. We're perfectly safe up here," Red replied. "Although lately, the cave's been acting up. I've been meaning to check it out for some time now, but I've never really found the time to do it."

Judging from the black cat's face, Cait Sith did _not_ look pleased. "Man oh man! What if the seal breaks and the spirits come up here?" it grumbled, shaking its head vigorously.

The large animal sighed. "Would it make you happy if we checked things out at the cave?"

"We?! What do you mean _we_? _We_ are not going anywhere! I'm not going to go to some haunted cave," the black cat growled, shaking its head furiously now.

But the conversation was over before Cait Sith could say anymore. Red XIII was already on his way to the cave, leaving Cait Sith alone with a few tourists. Weighing its options, it kicked at its mog and made it scamper after the large animal. "Hey! Wait for me!"

* * *

"Geeze. I can't believe I'm going with you. You _do_ realize it's only the two of us here, right?" Cait Sith grumbled, making its way down the old cave. 

"Relax, you're in good hands – uh – paws," Red XIII said, chuckling to himself. "We're only going to check out what's going on in here. If we run into anything, just throw a Phoenix Down at it. They're all undead anyway." And with that, he moved on, looking around his surroundings cautiously.

Cait Sith jumped every time it saw murky shadows lingering around the walls. Something was watching their every move. Despite Red XIII being experienced in dealing with whatever it was lurking in the cave, Cait Sith found it very hard to stay optimistic.

"Hmm, that's odd."

Jumping to the sound of Red's voice, Cait Sith bumped against the wall with a loud thump. "Ow!" it grumbled, rubbing its arm. "_What's_ odd?"

Red XIII pressed his nose against the cave wall and sneezed. Scattering mold, dust, and critters, a crack suddenly appeared at the side of the wall. Red peered at the newly formed crack and gave a grunt. "This…was never here before."

"Well hurray," the cat grumbled, unable to contain its sarcasm. "Well maybe you've missed this. Maybe it's just been there and you've never really noticed it."

Red XIII shook his head. "No, that's impossible. I made sure every single inch of this place was searched," he replied, touching the wall with his nose once again. "This looks more like a passage than a mere crack to me."

"And I suppose you want to see where it leads to," Cait Sith grumbled, examining the crack as well.

Red XIII moved a paw over the wall and watched it move slightly from its place. "I think I have an idea where this leads to…"

Cait Sith shot the large animal a glare. "And you have no notion of telling me where, eh?"

Red gave a deep chuckle and moved into the newly formed passage. "I'll tell you when we get there."

The black cat sighed and kicked at his mog body. "I don't believe this. We better not die in here." And with that, he followed Red into the passageway; never expecting what was to come next.

* * *

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**Author's Note**: Okay, it's taking me a little longer to write up this fic. I haven't even TOUCHED the main plot yet. This is only a glimpse of what's to come. Grr, ever since my friend's introduced me to **Ragnarok Online**, I've been playing it religiously, day and night. Sad, really. I think it sucked out a part of me, preferably my soul. 

Anyway! I'm not feeling much love fo rhtis fic. PLEASE REVIEW! PLEASE! I'm not putting up the next chapter until I get at least **2 signed reviews**.


	5. Part I: Ch5 Death in AVALANCHE

**Chapter 5**

**Death in AVALANCHE**

"Barret! Barret! I can't hold on!"

Tifa gasped in pain as she dangled dangerously close to the glowing liquid. Her limbs ached and burned, as if they were on fire, and it was growing difficult to haul herself up to safety.

Sweaty palms gripped desperately onto the rusted railings. Slowly, they began to slip.

There was gunfire above her, but she ignored it. She was going to have to haul herself up _without_ Barret's help. Gritting her teeth, Tifa pulled herself up onto the catwalk. If she could just swing her legs over…

Bingo!

She let out a sigh of relief as one leg propped up against the trembling catwalk. Taking another deep breath, she applied pressure to her leg and pushed against the catwalk as she pulled with her arms. Within seconds, she was lying against the rusty catwalk. She did it.

The room shook, and the catwalk gave another forceful jolt. It was going to break off from its hold.

Tifa gasped and forced herself up on her feet. Muscles aching, she darted through the catwalk as it began to fall towards the glowing liquid.

There came another loud groan, and immediately, Tifa sprang up into the air as the floor below her collapsed. With a pained yelp, she slammed onto a platform below her. Stars flashed before her eyes, and her vision blurred for a moment. She tasted blood in her mouth and knew she had bitten her tongue from the impact.

"Ugh, Barret, this better be worth it," she grumbled, wincing as she tried to move her left hand. It was no use. Her arm was broken.

For a long moment, Tifa lay where she was, breathing hard. Her head throbbed vigorously, matching the pace of her pounding heart. It hurt to breathe, and her ears were roaring with the sound of…

"Barret!"

Tifa rolled over to her back and struggled to rise from the ground. She had to do _something_. Barret was strong, but not strong enough to handle 20 or more soldiers all at once. But what was she to do? Barret was trapped inside a vent, surrounded by soldiers, at the very top of the reactor. _She_ was standing at the reactor's entrance, a hundred feet _below_ the vent.

Something vibrated fiercely against her hips, and Tifa immediately found the cell phone Barret gave to her earlier. Wondering how the phone survived slamming against the platform, she answered it, her fingers trembling.

"Get out! NOW!"

"But I–"

"Get the hell out of there, Tifa! Get the files! You know where they are! GO! GO!"

Tifa winced as the noise blasted into her ears. But before she could reply, the line went dead. Panicked, she searched for the vent and heard gunshots. A part of her wanted to stay and help Barret. She couldn't just leave him…

_Run, dammit! There's nothing you can do! Stick to the plan!_ she thought to herself angrily. Clenching her fist, she tore her gaze away from the vent and dashed towards the reactor's exit. She had to get out. She had to warn somebody. Anybody…

There came a loud "BANG!" and the reactor exploded. Tifa forced herself not to look back and ran with all her might towards the exit. She felt a giant pressure pushing her forward and her back growing hot. The flames were going to reach her within seconds.

A searing pain exploded all over her body, and she cried out in pain as she leapt forward into the air once again. The flames pushed against her and pelted her into the ground. This time, she was ready, and she rolled over to lessen the impact of her fall.

* * *

Tifa did not know how long she had been lying there on the floor in front of the destroyed reactor. Seconds passed. Minutes followed. Maybe even hours went by. The Neo-Shinra could be coming to get her any minute now. They were going to kill her.

Yet, the thought of her own death could not move Tifa from her spot. What did it matter if the Neo-Shinra were coming to kill her? Barret was dead and she was mortally wounded. She too would die if she was not rushed to a hospital soon.

Closing her eyes, she waited. She was going to die either way…

There was a small rustle and a soft, silvery light bounced before Tifa's eyes.

_"Didn't know you'd give up so soon." _

Tifa slowly opened her eyes and glanced at the glowing ball of light, saying nothing.

_"Come on, don't give up. You can do it."_

For a long moment, Tifa stared in silence. Finally, "…I can't."

_"Don't give up. 'You know where they are. Go.'"_

Suddenly something in Tifa's mind clicked, and her eyes widened in realization. Sitting upright, she cradled her broken arm and looked around. She was still inside the building.

Glancing around her, she noticed the destroyed reactor at the very end of the room. Looks like she was thrown far out into the hallway.

The floor was deserted. Being on the top floor, Tifa was surprised no one was there to arrest her. Was it because everyone had been in the reactor when it blew up?

Quietly, she rose from the floor, wincing as she moved. For a short moment, she stared at the destroyed reactor and wondered how it did not destroy the rest of the building. _What's a reactor doing at the top of the building, anyway? _

With a deep breath, Tifa staggered through the deserted floor, searching for the Neo-Shinra's vault. It had to be on the same floor. It was the only floor with the highest security.

__Had_ the highest security,_ she corrected herself, leaning against the wall for support.

The floor, although deserted, was not simply a walk in the park. Cubicles, elevators, and bathrooms were scattered around the building. It became a maze of stacked papers and confiscated equipment in search for one vault.

Tifa knew where the vault was. It was located on the opposite side of the room and was heavily guarded. She had seen the vault so many times on TV and the pictures Barret had shown her that she could literally draw every single detail of it if given the chance. But things looked way different than what was on TV. The trick wasn't to know _where_ the vault was located. It was to know _how_ to get to the vault's location.

It was a problem Tifa knew she had the minute she began her search. There were no drawn maps of the floor anywhere in sight. Security was so tight nowadays that only trusted individuals were allowed to work on the top floors of the building. Each worker would be entrusted a map the first day of work and then be required to burn it an hour after studying it. In other words, each worker on the top floors knew their way around without the help of a map.

It was a wonder how she and Barret bypassed the security undetected until now. It was a brilliant plan. Had it worked, no one would've known anyone had stolen secret documents from the vault until someone actually checked it. Even then, it would be too late to retrieve the stolen data.

The plan was simple. Sneak into the Neo-Shinra Building undetected and break into the vault. Barret would hide in the unsecured pipelines and vents of the building and bring along with him weapons and equipment. Tifa and a few other AVALANCHE members would pose as tourists viewing the building for the first time. While the new members of AVALANCHE kept the guards distracted, Tifa would slip out of site and moved off to the bathroom, leading to a vent Barret had been hiding in. Once she allowed Barret inside the building, they both would climb their way up to the top floor undetected.

The plan was so well devised nothing could have gone wrong.

But things did go wrong. And there was a price to pay.

Barret and Tifa did not expect a reactor to be built inside the top floor of the building. They also failed to notice that one of their AVALANCHE members was recognized by security, thus blowing their cover. And from then on, it was hell.

Tifa sighed and moved on through the maze of tall cubicles. There was no straight path going directly to the vault. For safety precautions, the way that led to it was long and winding, circling elevators and cubicles at least twice before anyone realized where they were.

After passing the same cubicle twice, she grew exasperated and kicked at it. It was then that the room began to shake. Surprised, she fell back and gasped as the cubicle split in two.

The vault was there.

For a moment, pelted with disbelief, Tifa sat where she was, staring at the vault appearing before her. _So that's how you get to it,_ she thought to herself, staggering up to her feet. Wincing at her resisting muscles, she leaned against the vault and took a deep breath. She knew the combination. All she had to do was…

The lights in the room began to flicker. There was a surge of electricity coming form the lights, and then "BZZZAT!" The lights were out. The power went dead.

Never in her life did Tifa Lockhart feel more frustrated then ever. Nothing was going as planned at all. Wrong. Wrong! Everything was going all wrong!

"Why!?" the young woman cried out in exasperation. Sinking to her knees, she despaired. She was so close. So close to getting inside the vault. _And then the electricity goes out._ Now, it was nearly impossible for her to get in, even if she knew the combination.

_Screw it all. _

Rummaging through her pockets with her good hand, she immediately found what she was looking for and held it up. Her hand began to give off a green glow and then "WHOOSH!" There was a small eruption engulfing the vault and then in an instant, it blew off its hinges. It wasn't very secure after all.

Tifa was surprised by her good fortune as she pocketed her Ultima Materia. Quickly, she entered the room and scanned it carefully.

Glass. Everything in the room was glass. The very interior of the vault had been made of glass itself.

Stepping into the room Tifa peered out the crystal, clear windows. For a moment, her stomach twisted into a knot as she realized just how high she really was.

"Glass…If everything was made of glass here, then why didn't it break when I used Ultima?" she murmured to herself, rummaging through the room. Something was not right. The door guarding Neo-Shinra's most secret documents opened too easily. _Why? _

There was a clicking sound, and Tifa stiffened. Slowly, she turned in place and immediately grew pale.

"End of the line for you, missy."

Eyes widened. "Oh God…"

BANG!

Glass shattered and Tifa fell back. She was falling, staring into the inevitable chasm.

Opal eyes gazed back…

* * *

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**Author's Note**: Ooookay, sorry for the medium hiatus there. I know I promised to update soon. But I've underestimated the workload I'd be receiving Junior year, so yeah, I've pretty much been busy with so much homework. Especially when I've decided to take AP and Honors classes. Geeze.

Whelp, I hope you liked this chappie.....not exactly the happiest, I admit.....If it's not making sense, don't worry, I'll explain later.

Oh, and **Yes** there are at least 6-7 **original characters**. So far I've introduced **five** - 3 with the names mentioned: **Antares**, **Cruz**, & **Astraea**. There are a few more, but you'll just haev to wait and see when I introduce them, won't you? LOL, please **R&R**. **Signed Reviews** would be nice.


	6. Part I: Ch6 Messages From Death

**Chapter 6**

**Messages From Death**

It was a frosty morning when he finally reached the summit. The wind whipped around him fiercely; ready to throw him off the snowy plains within seconds. He exhaled deeply, vapor rising from his mouth. It was another difficult climb up the mountain, but he made it in record time.

Below him, he was greeted with a pleasant view of a village nearby. Small and buried underneath the thick layers of snow, the houses gave the appearance of giant igloos from a distance. He never grew tired of looking at it, not even from his many climbs up the mountain.

He gave another sigh, vapor rising into the chilled air once more. Moving carefully on the snow, he sat down at the very edge of the cliff overlooking the village.

For hours and hours he would sit there, gazing into space, clearing his mind. And everyday it would always be the same. He would move on back to the village at sunset and then fall asleep under warm covers, feeling defeated. Everyday he would battle against his will, clearing his mind, challenging himself to pacify the demons within him. And everyday, he would fail, never knowing how to keep his head clear.

A lot had happened in two years. So many things had changed. _He_ had changed.

In his mind, he could still hear her voice echoing into his ears:

_"I want to know the real you…"_

But what did it all mean? Who was he really? What made him "real?"

There were still questions left unanswered, and no one left to answer them. He had watched and read all he could about the Cetras and as much information left on the JENOVA Project. But all results came out the same. The Cetras were an extinct race. And he had been a failure.

There was no answer on who he really was. Sure, there were glimpses here and there of his past, but what about the rest of his memory? What happened when he applied for SOLDIER? What in his memory was real and what were the effects of the illusion Sephiroth had caused?

A thousand questions raced through his mind and he could never satiate that thirst. So for the past two years, he sat and thought in isolation, wondering what he was to do now. Nowadays, it was hard to get a decent job, and fame was something he no longer desired.

For many hours he sat there, until the faint rays of light disappeared from the horizon. Then, with a sigh, he rose up from the ground and brushed the snow away from his shoulders. He then made the long journey down the mountain quickly. God forbid he was hit with a storm, then he would be in trouble.

The snowy village greeted him with warmth and familiarity. For two years of living there, he found himself calling it his home.

It was a quiet village, isolated from the rest of the world. No one recognized him either, and he was left alone most of the time. And the children simply adored him. It was also…

"Where you were born…"

He moved towards the desolated inn, nodding at the clerk at the front of the desk.

The clerk, a homely looking woman in her late thirties, smiled and stood up from her stool. "Oh, you've just gotten a message, honey. Someone's been very busy trying to call you today. Your phone line's been ringing _all_ day."

Blue eyes looked up suddenly. "…From who?"

"Sorry, hon, I didn't ask. Every time I'd pick up, the line would go dead," the woman replied. "Looks like someone's been all hush-hush, as usual." She gave him a sly wink.

"Right…" And with that, he climbed up the stairs and moved towards his phone propped right beside his bed. Nearing it, he noticed a red light flashing from the receiver. So he _had_ gotten messages after all. For two years almost no one had tried to contact him. But apparently, someone was trying to reach him desperately now.

_But who is it? What do they want from me?_ he thought to himself, pressing on the glowing light.

Almost instantly, there came up a rather hurried voice, full of urgency. Despite the static clouding the message, he knew instantly who that voice belonged to.

"…Cloud, you can't hide forever. I know you never want to answer my calls…but…We really need to talk." There was a pause as the speaker gave an exasperated sigh. "Please, can you just…get to this before…before I leave, then maybe…" There was another voice in the background, a gruff and deep voice, growling angrily. "…Guess you're not there…"

Cloud closed his eyes and shook his head. The second message played. It was from the same speaker.

"…Guess you're _still_ not there…" There was a hint of disappointment in the speaker's voice. "Well…that's okay…" The speaker took a deep breath. "I'm, going to leave with Barret and the rest of AVALANCHE. Yuffie's been missing all day, so I'm the best one for the job now." There was another long pause, and then the speaker continued, "I'm leaving for Junon now…Guess I'll talk to you later…then…if you're there."

The second message was cut off short by a third message. It was from a different speaker now, a voice Cloud vaguely remembered.

The voice sounded slightly hurried but remained cool. "Come on, damn it! Pick up. Where the hell are you, anyway? Look, there's a reason why you have a phone. Pick up already. The media is having a field day over here. Wutai's been – " There was a loud scuffle, and then the line went dead.

Cloud froze, and slowly, his head turned to glance at the phone. Something was going on, and his old comrades were trying to get to get a hold of him once again.

A fourth message played. There was gunfire in the background. "Hello?! …there…need…" Static erupted and the sound grew distorted. "…Out! Get…out!"

Blue eyes peered at the phone intently. He knew that voice well. "Barret…"

"GET HER OUT!!! Reactor…'bout…blow up…Need you to…find her…"

Barret's message made no sense. The thought frustrated Cloud. Over and over again he wanted to scream, "Find who? Who do you want me to find?" But it soon became clear.

_"I'm going to leave with Barret and the rest of AVALANCHE…I'm leaving for Junon now…"_ The words echoed into his head. It was Tifa! Barret wanted Cloud to find Tifa!

Cloud yanked the cordless phone off the receiver and began to dial numbers etched into his mind. _Tifa knew something bad was going to happen, otherwise she wouldn't have called,_ he thought, a sinking feeling of guilt coming over him. She wanted to talk to him before she left…

The sound of the answering machine exploded into the air once more as a fifth message played.

Cloud immediately froze in place and stopped dialing.

"Jesus! Just where the hell are you?!" It was Reeves again. "Something's going on here. The place is in a frenzy. Listen, I don't know what's been going on with you over these past two years, but you better get your ass out of there. I don't know if you've seen the news yet about Wutai. Everything is gone. The whole town was wiped out."

Cloud felt a sinking feeling in his gut. Again Tifa's words played into his mind: _"Yuffie's been missing all day…"_

The answering machine died out and the room grew silent again.

Cloud's heart began to pound again his chest, the noise roaring into his ears. Frantically, he looked around the room, until he caught sight of a small slip of paper sliding under his door. Slowly, he moved towards the slip of paper and read it over:

**Turn on the T.V.**

Without knowing the reason why, Cloud reached over for the remote lying on his coffee table and turned the T.V. on. In an instant, the news flashed on and there was a scene at Junon.

"…Here at Junon. Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the explosion, but eyewitnesses say it was the doing of terrorists," the newscaster reported. "Detective Sumner, to you."

A grim looking man appeared on the screen. Dark circles formed under his eyes, and his sallow skin clung tightly to his face.

Cloud felt like he was looking directly at the undead.

"Thank you. Now, what we've seen here is only a portion of the horror that's taken place here at Junon. Now, we've managed to get most of the civilians out of the building, but I'm afraid to say that some are still trapped inside the building. Whether anyone is still alive in there is still a mystery to us. At this time, a thorough investigation is almost impossible to perform," Sumner said, motioning towards the smoking building behind him. "Toxic fumes have been spreading throughout the air. Now at this distance, we are somewhat safe from the fumes. But they will spread. We also don't know for sure whether or not all of the terrorists are still in there. They may still be inside. We can't risk the lives of our men now."

The screen split and the newscaster appeared on half the screen. "Now, detective, earlier you said something about bodies flying out of the building…"

"Yes," Sumner interrupted, looking agitated. "Well not bodies, per se. When we got word of something going on at Junon, we saw something fall at the top floor. It appeared to be the body of a young woman. Now, I can't say for sure but we still have _not_ recovered that body. For some reason, we can't seem to…"

Cloud was no longer listening. His heart stopped pounding in his chest. Tifa was with Barret and the rest of AVALANCHE when the building exploded. Barret had tried to contact Cloud, ordering him to find Tifa. Now, the news reported what appeared to be a young woman falling out of the building…It was all too much of a coincidence.

_But why did Barret contact me? Why couldn't he get to someone else? Why me of all people?_ he thought to himself, wondering if there was any connection that linked him to Junon.

Before he could dwell on the thought any longer, Cloud caught sight of another slip of paper slide under his door. Silently, he peered at the note, wondering if the clerk was sending him the notes. To his dismay, he scowled and reread the note once again:

**Pick up the phone**

Suddenly, the phone began to ring, making Cloud jump. Over and over again it rang, filling the room with a deafening noise.

Cloud sat motionless, staring at the cordless phone.

_Ring…ring…ring…_

The sound was maddening. Over and over again it would blare out, until finally the ringing ceased, and the room grew silent.

Cloud sighed, relishing the silence once again. He turned to look at the ceiling, trying to collect his thoughts. But that was not to be for long.

The answering machine sounded and Cloud could hear his own voice playing into the air. "Sorry, I'm not here. Leave a message and I'll get back to you." Then there was a loud "beep" and then a new voice emerged.

"…I know you're there. You might as well pick up and make this easier on yourself." The voice was a chilling, clear quality. It was a woman's voice. A voice Cloud only heard in his dreams; a voice that haunted him so in his childhood. "Come on, lover boy. You've got questions…"

Cloud looked up, glancing at the phone once again.

As if reading his mind, the voice spoke up again. "Mmm, yes, I see I've gotten your attention. Well, come now, be a dear, and pick up the phone. You have questions. I've got answers."

As if instinct had kicked in, Cloud scooped up the phone and answered it, moving it to his ear.

The voice sounded amused. "Mmm, yes, now that's better. Glad to see I've gotten your attention, lover boy."

"What do you want?"

There was laughter on the other end of the line. "Your attention, for starters…" There was a short pause as the speaker gave an amused laugh. "I've been waiting for you, you know. It's not everyday we can talk like this…Cloud."

Cloud gave no reply at first. Finally, he sighed and asked, "Who are you?"

"I…am your Guardian Angel, lover boy," the speaker replied. "I've been with you ever since birth."

"No, you couldn't be. I shut you out a long time ago."

She laughed once again. "Yes, I must admit, you were very difficult to reach ever since you turned sixteen. There was another in your mind whose will was much too powerful for me to break at the time," she replied softly, her voice falling into a whisper. "But I've found you. You can't hide from me forever, you know."

Cloud scowled. "What makes you think you can plague my mind again? I was a child when you came into my head. And you were a child with me then."

"…But you've been having dreams again. Nightmares, perhaps. They've come back. They always do," the speaker answered coolly. "Haven't you noticed the dreams you've been having for the past two years? You knew I was going to find you. You've been anticipating my return. Otherwise, you wouldn't have isolated yourself from your friends…

"You really want to know why you were a failure? Why you couldn't be a SOLDIER? Why you were the Great Sephiroth's little pet, his favorite toy to play with?"

Cloud remained motionless, the phone gripped tightly in his hand. "I'm listening."

* * *

_"…Meet me at the foot of the mountain, away from the village. Don't be late." _

The words continued to play through his mind as he made his way out of the village once again. Although the clerk had been completely flustered by Cloud's sudden urge to "take another walk," Cloud simply ignored her and went on his way.

Reaching the outskirts of the village, the ex-SOLDIER spotted a tall, skinny figure standing from a distance. Despite the new falling snow and the incoming darkness, Cloud observed that the figure was a woman with blazing red hair clad all in black. As he drew closer to the figure, he gazed intently into shimmering, opal eyes.

The woman smiled, her ruby red lips arching up into an attractive curve. "My, how you've grown," she said, her voice soft but clear.

"So have you," Cloud replied, standing a few feet away from the woman. He couldn't help but notice that his childhood "guardian" had grown into an exotic beauty.

"Do you know why you are here?" the woman asked, moving towards Cloud, the wind blowing her hair.

Cloud shook his head. "No."

"Do you know who I am. _What_ I am?"

For a moment, Cloud gazed into pretty opal eyes. They were unreadable, giving away no hint of what was to come. "Vincent often called out to you as punishment for his sin. People fear you and rarely await your coming with open arms. You have come for many. And now…" he paused for a moment letting his words sink in. "And now, you have come for me. You are Death."

Death – Beautiful Death – smiled once again and gave an amused chuckle. With one hand, she reached out towards Cloud and brushed her fingertips against his cheek. "But I shall never come for you," she said softly. "For you do not fear me. In the years of your childhood, you befriended me. For that, I am eternally grateful."

Cloud stood still, unmoved by the woman's words. "You intend to keep me alive forever."

Death laughed. "Death favors you, lover boy. Death is your guardian, and will guard you for all eternity," she said coolly. "I like you, lover boy. While others may call this a blessing, you call this a curse. Your death will not come to you so easily, not with me on your side."

Cloud pulled away from Death's touch and placed his hand over his cheek. The touch had burned, and his skin felt like it was on fire. "I don't want your gift. I don't want you meddling in my life," he snapped, rubbing his cheek.

Again, the woman laughed, tossing her head back. "I'm afraid that is not for you to decide." She moved towards Cloud once again and prodded his chest with her finger. "I have chosen _you_ as my favorite. And now you can never escape me."

"So I am to be your puppet." It was not a question.

Death grinned. "If I've come to you as a foe, you would know it by now." She moved away from Cloud and sighed, shaking her head. "I told you, I like you, and I'd hate to force you to do anything that you're not willing to do. But I'm here to ask you – as a friend – to help me."

"Help you?" Cloud asked coolly. "And what could possibly make _me_ want to help _you_?"

"Despite you shunning me out for years, I have kept a very close eye on you on your adventures years ago. Many times I have had to save you from dying. Other times, not even I could keep you from your death," Death replied, folding her arms over her chest. "But you are favored by more beings than me. And there is only one other being who has the power to save others from their premature death…maybe even Death itself."

"Who?"

Death shook her head. "_That_, I will not tell you. Besides, that is not the point in our conversation." She brushed her fingers against her fiery, red hair and sighed. "Your world has not changed a bit even after Sephiroth's destruction. Although he caused an imbalance of power within this world, his death also caused a greater imbalance of power. It was a lose lose situation." She turned back to glance at Cloud, her opal eyes giving off an intense aura. "I have been very busy today, collecting the souls of those who perished and sending them to where they belong. It is a miracle to finally speak to you."

Cloud remained still, his face expressionless. "What do you want me to do?"

"I'm calling in a favor, Cloud. The quest for power is tearing your world apart. The battle you and your friends have fought two years ago is reemerging. If the roots of this evil are not destroyed, it will only rise up again. And if it does, no other world is safe," she explained, her grin gone. "You owe me a favor."

Cloud shook his head in disbelief. "This is crazy. I'm not some hero for hire," he replied coldly. "And I never asked you to save me." He turned away from the woman and made his way back to the village.

Opal eyes flashed, and a deadly shade of red emerged. "You want to see her, don't you? Your Ancient?"

Cloud stopped in his tracks, his shoulders growing stiff. Slowly, he glanced behind him. "What do you know of it?" he asked in a low whisper.

"I know enough," Death said, her tone now cold. "I can't make any promises, and there is little chance that you will find her. But if it's looking for her that you desire, then perhaps you are the wrong man for this job."

Unexpectedly, Cloud drew out his sword and pointed it at Death. "You know where she is. Tell me."

Death shot Cloud a dangerous look. "Don't test my temper, lover boy. I am _not_ a very forgiving angel," she growled. Her voice lost all its amusement, and her eyes lost their warm glow. "Come with me and we can make this much easier."

"No."

Opal eyes narrowed. "Very well. You leave me no choice." And with that, she flipped forward into the air, a sword in her hand. "Get ready." 


	7. Part II: Ch7 Underworld

**_Part II_**

**Chapter 7**

**Underworld**

"The Underworld, a parallel universe connected to the Lifestream. Over a hundred thousand lost souls wandering around unattended. Most have already been taken by the Darklings and fiends who've probably devoured them now. Either way, that's not exactly a good thing. Now, there are only a handful of us around to keep everything in the Underworld in order. How do you expect _only_ a _handful_ of bounty hunters to deal with the overpopulation of this place? Hmm? Obviously, the 'big people' _aren't_ doing their job! Because if they were, _we_ wouldn't even have to _deal_ with this overtime!"

A fist slammed down against the concrete wall, followed by a set of curses.

Brown eyes looked up and scowled through rectangular spectacles. "Hey, simmer down, sparky. Don't get a heart attack. We're just monitoring the premises. Nothing dirty today."

Making a face, the first speaker – a well-built man in his late twenties – turned towards the second speaker. He lowered his shades to the bridge of his nose and glared into brown eyes. "Listen, Jess, if I wanted your opinion – which I _don't_ – I would normally ask for it. And unlike _you_, I like to keep things real. And I think that this job is bull–"

"You know, if you hate it so much, why'd you enter the profession?" the brown-eyed woman interrupted, raising an eyebrow. With a dismissive roll of her eyes, she turned back towards a very small laptop propped onto the floor in front of her and tapped against the keyboard.

"Don't you have a bomb to make or something?"

The woman swiveled her neck so quickly it gave a loud snap. "Listen, _you_! Unless you've got anything else to say other than your traditional complaints, I don't want to hear about it! So either put up or shut up!" she growled, turning a deep shade of red. "I'll give _you_ 'bomb'," she added in an undertone as she turned her attention back to the laptop. "Pompous jerk."

"I _heard_ that! You–"

"Would you guys cut it out already?" a new voice growled in exasperation. Small, dark eyes, framed by a rather plump face, peered at the feuding pair. "Come on! I'm tired of you guys doing this. What's Rige going to say if you guys keep going at each others' throats while on a mission? Right, Rige?" He turned to glance a fourth figure perched on the edge of the rooftop.

The figure stood out from the rest of the group. Young and handsome, his features were soft and gentle, unlike the rough and weary look of his companions. He wore a cool expression on his face, as if unperturbed by the ruckus his companions were making. Relaxed and comfortable, he crouched on the edge of the roof, like a cat waiting in the darkness. His eyes – silver with hints of pale blue – were fixed on a small device the size of a cell phone resting on his palm.

His companions looked at him uneasily. "Rige?"

There came a soft "blip," and the fourth figure looked up. "They're here." His head turned to glance at his companions. "It's show time." And with that, he smiled.

His companions groaned. "Oh no, not again, boss!" they protested. "We're here to check things out, not catch bad guys again!"

But it was too late. Without warning, the young man leaped up from the edge of the roof and landed gracefully onto the pavement below. With cat-like grace, he rose up to his feet and studied his surroundings, a smile still edging at the corners of his mouth.

Just as he had predicted, the sky continued to darken, and giant puffs of clouds rolled in. The wind's direction changed, and the first drops of rain began to fall onto the dirty pavement. Within seconds, glowing streetlights extinguished, followed by brightly shining advertisements hanging proudly on large billboards. Finally, grimy windows, lit by dull lamps, turned off as well.

It was dark. Not even a glimmer of moonlight broke through the thick clouds. From a distance, there was an abbreviated scream, as if the sound was swallowed in darkness.

"Rige! Rige!" a sharp whisper sounded, coming from the building the young man had just jumped off. "Hey, boss! Get back here! Are you crazy? You can't take on these guys without any light!"

The young man gave no reply. Wordlessly, he glanced at the small device still in his palm. Mysteriously, the screen continued to glow brightly, illuminating his face. With a smile, he gave a small nod, placed the device into his pocket, and closed his eyes. He then moved one hand over his temple and tapped lightly. Tinted glasses covered his eyes, and – like a computer screen – words in a strange language emerged, followed by a radar, scanning the area.

For a brief moment, time seemed to stand still as the young man stood motionless in the rain. And then…

_"Argentum levis…"_

Without warning, a surge of silver light erupted from where he was standing. Building lights suddenly came back on. Even billboards began to glow brightly once again.

The young man glanced at the streetlights briefly. They had not turned back on.

"You've got some nerve…Thinking you could hide from me," he said softly, his tone amused. Looking away from the streetlights, he moved one hand to his back pocket, pushing his dark, trench coat aside. "Come now, show yourselves."

Lightning struck in reply, followed by the raging thunder. Murky silhouettes formed from the grimy pavement, rising up with claws bared to the torrent sky. Crimson eyes glowed from their dark bodies as they wriggled free from their confinement.

"Ah, there you are." With a devilish grin, he reached into both his pockets and produced two large swords almost a third of his size.

The lights began to flicker and some died in an instant. The dark creatures moved with slithering grace towards the young man emitting a silver-blue glow.

Swords in hand, he swung outwards to each side. Each swing made contact with the dark silhouettes, slicing them in seconds. Satisfied, he made a whirling motion, and soon he was twirling in mid-air, his swords acting like propellers slicing through each creature that rammed towards him.

The shadowy beings began to multiply by the minute, more clamoring towards the brightly shining youth. Unsheathing their claws, the creatures struck, jumping into the air and throwing their claws at the young man. They were met with a good thump on the head as the youth stepped over them like lily pads.

"Heh…" He grinned and flipped through the air and landed back on the wet pavement, unscathed by any attacks launched at him. Quickly, he scampered forward and ran his feet up against a building wall. As the dark beings followed him, he flipped once again and landed behind the creatures. With one powerful swing, he exterminated them, allowing none to survive.

"Oh! Nice move, boss!" one of the youth's companions exclaimed, watching the fiasco from the rooftop. He was quickly silenced by a hard jab on the ribs from his female companion.

"Shhh! You want them to come after us, too?" the woman growled, keeping her head down, away from sight.

The youth made his way back to the center of the city square, eyeing all sides quickly. He was completely surrounded. Escape was almost impossible, unless he somehow managed to fly through the air. With that thought in mind, he glanced up at the stormy sky and held his swords out evenly to each side.

Suddenly, the clouds parted, and silver rays of light peeked through the sky. The moon emerged from its cloudy prison and illuminated the city square with bright, silver rays.

The youth's swords soon began to glow, bathing in the moonlight. The creatures hesitated and backed away from the youth. Others, more curious or stupid, advanced ahead, circling the glowing blades slowly.

The youth crossed his blades together and held them up towards the moonlight. Then, without warning, he swept the two swords apart, sending a shockwave of silver light towards the dark beings before him.

The creatures screeched loudly and ran straight for the youth, jumping into the air. They were soon cut down as one sword flew into the air, spinning.

The youth caught the spinning blade easily with one hand and he held his swords out once again. _"Shippou Ranpu."_

Another burst of light emerged, and a silver glowing pentagram formed onto the pavement. The ground shook and cracked open. More light seeped into the dark night, and the creatures vanished without a trace.

The youth stood at the center of the pentagram, swords held apart. Finally, once all the creatures were vanquished, he slowly moved his swords down to his sides.

The ground immediately ceased shaking, and the silver pentagram slowly began to fade.

He sighed and glanced over towards the streetlamps. They were once again glowing brightly, as if nothing ever happened. Relieved, he flicked both his wrists, and his swords disappeared from sight.

"Way to go, boss!" a voice emerged behind him.

A pudgy hand clapped onto the youth's shoulder. "That was amazing! Unbelievable! Will you teach me those moves?"

The youth laughed in amusement and ran a hand through his sopping, wet hair. "I'm glad you liked them," he said, his voice soft, but full of energy. Turning towards the woman heading his way he added, "Jessie, did you get it?"

He received a menacing glare from the woman as she gave a disapproving sigh. She didn't look too happy. "Yeah, I got the count. But _you_ shouldn't have jumped in like that!" she snapped, placing her hands on her hips. "It was bad enough with you flying everywhere for me to count each one."

The youth removed his tinted glasses away from his face, revealing his silver-blue eyes. "Sorry, Jess. I couldn't help it," he remarked with a boyish grin.

The woman's glare melted as she stared at the youth's charming smile. The boss was always too naïve and cute for his own good. With a sigh of defeat she grumbled, "All right, all right. Don't give me that look. Next time, just stick to protocol, okay, Rige?"

The youth smiled and gave a nod. "I'll try to remember that, Jess," he replied honestly.

"Fine, then let's get out of here. Necropolis gives me the creeps even without the Darklings wandering around."

* * *

**_"I thought you would drift forever." _**

She stirred slightly in her sleep.

**_"You know, you're much more trouble than you look." _**

Her fingers trembled. One by one, life breathed into them, and they began to curl and uncurl ever so slowly.

**_"I've been waiting for you…"_ **

_W-who are you?_

Laughter filled the air. **_"That fall must've hurt. Can you move?" _**

Eyes began to flutter open, and her fingers twitched once again. _I think so._

**_"You haven't felt pain like this in years. Are you going to let this beat you? You're strong, right?" _**

_Am I? I don't know… _

**_"Time to wake up."_**

Tifa gasped loudly and jolted awake. Air suddenly filled her lungs and she began to breathe once again. The shock was too much for her body to withstand, and she rolled over to her side and vomited.

"It moves!"

Hurried footsteps came over to Tifa. As her vision cleared, she found herself staring up at two faces bent over her. Both had blood-red eyes, ivory white skin, and pale lips the same color as their skin. The two figures looked very much alike, and had the same tousled black hair. They were not human.

One of them hissed as it caught Tifa's gaze. "It is awake!" it whispered harshly.

The human-like creatures exchanged silent looks before turning back to Tifa. One of them extended a long claw-like hand and stroked Tifa's cheek. "And it is warm."

Tifa shivered at the cold touch and tried to wriggle free. But she soon gave a yelp and lay back down, wincing in pain. Her ribs were broken.

Alarmed by the scream, the two creatures backed away, baring sharp teeth in defense.

"Quick! Let us kill it and eat it. I am starving!"

"Do not alarm it or it will run away!"

Tifa did not like what she was hearing, but she was as good as dead. Her bones were broken, and it was almost impossible to move, let alone run. _What do I do?_ she thought to herself, not wanting to be someone's breakfast.

"H-hold…" she coughed and choked on her words. Her throat was completely dry, and it was difficult to speak.

The creatures moved back, away from their prey and eyed it with suspicion. One of them looked at its companion and hissed, "Hush! It speaks!" It turned a crimson eye to Tifa and scowled.

"Rip out its tongue! If it screams, we will be found!" snarled its partner.

Tifa watched in horror as one of the creatures smirked cruelly. "No," it said, moving its face close to Tifa's. "This one cannot move, let alone speak properly. It cannot scream loud enough to attract the ears of others. So let us have a feast and take our time devouring its warm flesh."

"H-hey!" Tifa rasped, struggling to move as ivory claws overpowered her. "D-don't!" But it was no use. Her voice was now a low squeak, and she had no strength left to fight.

The creatures began to claw at Tifa's skin, ready to tear it slowly. But as they touched her flesh, they both threw their heads back and gave a cry of pain. In an instant, they fell back and grew silent. They were dead.

Dumbstruck, Tifa tried to crane her neck to the side to see what had happened. She soon spotted one of the creatures on the ground, lying motionless. _W-what's going on?_ she thought, completely puzzled. _They're dead. But how?_

The sound of a sword being placed back into its sheath distracted her attention. Tifa could now hear footsteps approach her. Looking up, she found herself gazing at a swishing black cape flowing towards her.

_A man in a black cape…_

A tight knot formed in Tifa's gut. Was her savior really someone she had presumed dead for two years?

The figure crouched down beside Tifa, and his long hair cascaded forward.

_Was it silver or white…?_ Tifa thought, beginning to panic.

Two cool fingers touched against her chin, making her cringe. Wincing, she looked away from the figure and tried to avoid any possible eye contact with the stranger.

"Look at me."

Tifa resisted the command until the fingers tilted her head up. _This is it_, she thought, a black shadow emerging in her mind. _He's back…With his black cape…and his long, silver hair…and his eyes…his eyes…_Tifa scowled. Was she seeing things?

A sharp burst of pain erupted throughout Tifa's head, and she gasped, collapsing back onto the ground.

_Blue…his eyes were blue.

* * *

_

Cait Sith gave a loud gulp as his giant mog clunked down clumsily against the ground. For a long time no one spoke as they delved deeper inside the hidden caves. Finally, it gave an exasperated sigh and shook its head. "Okay, I've been quiet long enough. Just where exactly are you leading us?"

For a long moment, there was no reply. Finally, Red XIII answered, "Have you ever heard the legend of the Seven Gateways to Hell?"

Again the black cat gulped and made a nervous sound. "G-gateways?" it stuttered uneasily.

Red nodded. "There was a legend long ago," he replied, dismissing Cait Sith's discomfort, "back when Man still relied on primitive tools. It was said that angels and devils walked upon this earth then, guiding humans and manipulating them to do their bidding. But then, a war broke loose, and humans were forced to choose sides. Those who sided with the angels were promised prosperity and remained on the earth, basking in the light."

"A-and what about those who sided with the devils?" Cait Sith prompted nervously.

"All damned into darkness for eternity," came the reply. "In siding with evil, they were cursed and transformed into monstrous beasts and demons. They were banished into the darkness, supposedly, never dying, but never living. In time, they became soulless entities."

Cait Sith let out a panicked whimper and clutches its ears in terror. "S-so what d-do these g-gateways h-have to do w-with it!"

Red XIII stopped in his tracks to examine something on the ground before answering. There was a familiar scent in the air, but it was hard to tell what it was. Shaking his head, Red XIII moved on and sighed. "Supposedly, the angels cast down 'holes' into the world, perhaps battle scars from their war with the devils. When the angels gained victory, they threw down the devils back into Hell and tossed the demons into an underworld where they were damned to dwell in forever. These underworlds are supposedly gateways that lead to Hell."

Cait Sith yelped as it bumped against the slimy wall. Instantly, several critters crawled out from the cracks and leapt onto the mog. "Auuuugh! Gross! Get away!"

Red shook his head and sighed. "You know, if you keep making noise like that, chances are we'll be attracting some unwanted company. Trouble, I'd rather avoid," he remarked quietly, his tail flicking away the nasty critters. "After all, the Cave of Gi _is_ rumored to be one of the Seven Gateways."

"And you're leading us there!" Cait Sith screamed, clearly alarmed.

"Feel free to go back if you wish," Red said, moving quickly ahead.

Cait Sith yelped and ran after the animal, almost in tears. "Red! You can't leave me! You _know_ I don't know the way back out! And I'm not going back alone!" it cried desperately, lunging for the red dog.

Red XIII threw his head back and chuckled. "Then I'm afraid into the belly of the beast we go!"

* * *

**  
Author's Note: **Meeeeh. I had a lot of fun writing this chappie. Heehee, I've never done such a long action scene before, so I really enjoyed writing up the first part of the chappie. I'm actually new at fighting scenes, so hopefully I didn't over elaborate on it or anything. I based the whole fight scene from **Kingdom Hearts 2**. Hehehe, I was bored one day and I was watching the opening scene for it, and then I just kinda based the battle on it. Lol, I'm so unoriginal. It actually helped to listen to **Ayumi Hamasaki's Evolution** while typing this up. Gets me all pumped up and everything. Also (well, you'll find out later), you've actually been introduced my one of my favorite original characters. You'll learn more about him later. Heehee. Until next chappie, toodles. Remember, **reviews** are nice- 


	8. Part II: Ch8 Life in Death

**Author's Note: **YES! FINALLY! My own laptop! NO FILTER! NO FILTER! I can upload my fics WHENEVER WHEREVER I want! Well, not really wherever, but still! OH YES! I feel so happy...Anyway, I made a mistake in the last chapter. The gentleman Tifa sees before passing out is supposed to have **violet **eyes. Whoops, I typed in blue for some reason. Hahaha, silly me.

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**Chapter 8**

**Life in Death**

There was a loud groan that echoed throughout the walls, followed by a most disturbing retching noise.

_God. Where the hell am I?_

Again the noise came, followed by a loud growl.

He stirred back to consciousness and grunted. His body ached all over, and his skin burned. As he tried to roll over to his side, he felt a sharp stab near his left shoulder. It was a sword wound.

_Am I dead?_ he thought, feeling dizzy as he tried to sit up. Another surge of pain erupted from his body and he winced silently. _No, I'm _not_ dead,_ he changed his mind as the pain subsided.

"W-what's going on?"

A familiar voice penetrated his thoughts, and he winced at the sharp sound. Slowly, his vision returned to him, and he was able to focus on his surroundings for the first time.

He was in a cave of some sort, a strange cave glowing different tints and shades of blue against the smooth, polished walls. Just where the hell _was_ he?

"Oh ewe! What the hell's this stuff? Blech! Get it off get it off!"

He recognized that voice immediately. It was the same obnoxious whiny tone that never failed to irritate him. But it was one of the only voices that brought a sense of nostalgia to his emptiness.

"Y…" he cleared his throat, unable to make a proper sound. "Y-Yuf…fie…"

A familiar face turned his way. For a long moment, the young woman grew silent and scowled, staring long and hard into his face. Finally, she broke into a smile and slowly wobbled over to him.

"God! Is that really you? Cloud Strife? _Strifey_?" Yuffie exclaimed, clasping a hand over her shoulder.

Cloud winced at the ninja's favorite pet name and sat up, despite his protesting joints. "Yeah, it's me. What are you doing here?"

Yuffie yelped and collapsed onto her rear as her knees gave way. Wincing, she inhaled sharply and tightened her grip on her shoulder.

Cloud scowled as he watched Yuffie's awkward movements. _Was she wounded?_ he thought, squinting in the ninja's direction.

"Jesus, I feel like crap!" Yuffie groaned, her hand brushing against a burn mark. "It's like a hangover, and I can't remember a thing! What about you?"

Cloud remained motionless for a long moment, his eyes gazing off into the distance…

_"Get ready," she said, her words echoing into his mind._

_A spark ignited at her first swing. It was her sword, blazing brightly…_

"Strifey?"

The ex-SOLDIER shook his head and snapped out of his reverie. Blinking, he answered, "No, nothing. I don't remember anything, either."

"So, you've both come around," a soft voice spoke up out of nowhere.

Cloud jumped up to his feet – painfully – and stood face to face with a strikingly familiar figure. A cold, mirthless cackle erupted into his ears, and he gasped in pain, falling back down to his knees.

The figure raised an eyebrow and strode over to Cloud, hoisting him back up to his feet. "Easy there, boy."

Cloud grit his teeth together and glared into the man's eyes. But as he did so, his glare melted away, replaced by a look of puzzlement. Violet eyes gazed back, shining like crystal orbs. He was not Sephiroth.

For a long moment, Cloud stared openly at the man, studying his features carefully. He had a feminine beauty about him, with soft features and almond shaped eyes. But he was still very handsome to look upon. His hair, worn loosely was pale blond, almost white, tumbling down his shoulders and up to his knees. He was a towering young man, almost seven feet tall, with a lean build.

"Can you walk?" he asked, steadying Cloud's footing.

Cloud nodded and took a step forward, wobbling slightly.

The stranger seemed pleased with Cloud's efforts. "Good." His violet eyes shifted over to Yuffie, who, too, was gaping at him with surprise.

Yuffie made a face and struggled to stand. "And just who the heck are you?" she grumbled, apparently in no mood for politeness.

The stranger shook his head patiently. "There isn't much time. Come along now," he replied, sweeping his cape behind him as he moved over to the young ninja.

Yuffie frowned and exchanged looks with Cloud. "Come along where?" she grumbled, as the gentleman helped her up to her feet.

Violet eyes flickered a mysterious glow. "It is wise that you do not utter your questions here," the gentleman replied, moving briskly through the tunnels. "You never know who will come up to answer it."

Cloud heard Yuffie gulp loudly, and slowed down to her pace. Although irritating, Cloud was fond of the young ninja. Glancing at her, he noticed Yuffie shoot him a questioning look. With a shrug, he replied quietly, "Let's just see where this leads us. We don't have any other option at the moment, anyway."

"Fine," Yuffie mumbled reluctantly. "Suit yourself."

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Water was dripping loudly somewhere close by. The sound echoed throughout the darkened cave walls and seemed to ring out loudly with every drop. The cave walls hummed as the echo bounced against its surface. There was a strong energy flow within the rocky walls.

Crimson eyes slowly opened, followed by a pained grunt. Vincent ignored the pain and rolled on his back, gasping for breath. _Where the hell am I?_ he thought, feeling a shiver run down his spine. He was freezing, his clothes soaked to the skin. _But how?_ He couldn't recall what had happened before he had awoken, nor could he recall how he was now inside a dark cave.

"Urrrgh…s-sick son of a…"

There was a loud cough behind him, followed by another groan. Turning around slowly, Vincent wondered who was with him.

"Jesus! Where the fuck am I?" a large, dark man growled, rubbing the back of his head.

"Barret?" Vincent asked aloud, not expecting to see his old friend right before him in such a battered up state.

Barret was completely bloody and bruised. His entire body was covered in bullet holes, as if he had been shot multiple times. Even his gun arm looked battered and worn. Just what had happened to put him in such a state?

Surprisingly, Barret was standing firmly on his two feet when he squinted at Vincent. For a moment he merely stared at Vincent, unable to recognize him. But that did not last long as his mouth twisted into a pained grin. "Well look who it is!"

Vincent stood where he was, unwilling to show Barret his pain. "What are you doing here? What's going on? What happened to you?" he asked, unable to keep his questions to himself.

"Shit like I know," Barret replied, looking at his battered gun. "I can't remember shit."

There was another groan. Immediately, Vincent and Barret fell silent, their eyes darting to the source of the sound.

"...my tongue…what the fuck's on my tongue!"

Vincent watched as a figure bent over towards the ground and spat on it while cursing profusely. There was only one man he knew who swore more obscenities than Barret. "Cid…"

"…think I sthwallowed sthomething," Cid grumbled with his tongue hanging out in distaste as he spat on the ground once again. "It feelsth sthandy…"

"Good to know," Barret grunted, walking over to the middle aged pilot. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Cid rubbed his aching temples and slowly rose to stand up. He was covered completely in burn marks and sand. "Dunno. Last thing I remember was flying over the desert when some fucker beat the living shit outta my ship. Next thing I know, I'm crashing into the ground with no parachute." He paused for a moment and took a good look at his surroundings. Again he swore. "How the fuck did I end up here?"

Vincent brushed his sopping wet hair away from his face, trying to think for a moment. "Perhaps we are dead," he said quietly, taking the end of his cape in his hands and wringing it dry. "Or maybe made to suffer down here for all eternity…"

Cit spat and swore again, as he usually did when Vincent said something unsettling. "Are you suggesting we be poked at with sticks by little imps dancing around some fire?" he growled swinging his jacket against the wall to shake off all the sand.

Vincent remained unperturbed by the statement. "Well, that is a possibility, although I've never heard of such a silly method of torture before," he replied with a shrug.

Barret grunted loudly and shook his head in disapproval. "Ah, to hell with both of you! Let's just get out of here before something really _does_ happen," he snapped impatiently. Without waiting for a reply, he began to set off in a random direction.

Vincent and Cid exchanged looks before sighing reluctantly and following Barret. After all, it was better to stick together than to be lost one by one.

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

A gentle rustle caressed her cheek softly. The cool soothing breeze brought comfort. Yet she was filled with warmth, as if she were back…_there_. Back to that place where the fire was always burning at the hearth with cups of hot chocolate warmed over it. She had missed that place.

"Are you feeling better, dear?" It was a soft and gentle voice.

Tifa opened her eyes and blinked. She was staring at an unfamiliar face – a pleasantly smiling face, but an unfamiliar face nonetheless. Still, she couldn't help but feel safe with this woman. Hoarsely, she began, "W-where…" But she stopped, unable to speak on. Her throat was completely dry, and it hurt to speak.

The woman's smile widened and reached for something behind her. As if reading Tifa's mind, she held up a cup filled with what appeared to be water. Carefully, she placed it in Tifa's hands and urged her to drink.

For a brief moment Tifa hesitated, unsure if she should accept this stranger's kindness. But her throat was painfully dry, and she had no other alternatives. So without another moment's hesitation, Tifa lifted the cup to her lips and drank the water quickly, feeling its cooling sensation run down her throat. Once she had drained the cup of its contents, she could feel a surge of energy coursing through her veins, as if she was reenergized. Curiously, Tifa peered at her fingertips and noticed a tinge of light surrounding them before vanishing.

"Feeling better now, dear?"

Tifa turned to glance at the woman once again, a puzzled look rising to her face. "H-how…?"

"Water is a very powerful thing. It can create life and it can destroy it," the woman replied amiably, taking the cup from Tifa's hands.

Tifa nodded in agreement and looked away from the woman. "Thank you…for saving me."

At this the woman giggled politely, an amused look on her face. "Oh, don't thank me, my dear. Thank Crux. He brought you here and asked that you be taken care of. You really ought to thank him when you see him. He'd like that."

"Crux?" Tifa asked curiously.

Violet eyes flashed into her mind, along with long, pale blond hair.

"Well, he's not here at the moment. That man has been very busy nowadays. I really do worry about him sometimes. He's…

Tifa was no longer listening as she stared at the woman intently. There was something strange about her, as if an ethereal glow surrounded her. It was a troubling thought. There was something familiar about this woman after all…She felt like she knew this woman once a long time ago…But why couldn't she remember?

"Who are you?" Tifa finally asked as the woman continued to ramble on and on.

Again the woman giggled. "I'm surprised you don't remember me. But according to rules and regulations, I cannot give you my name," she answered in a pleasant tone, a face still planted sweetly on her pale lips. "But I believe it will come to you in time…Tifa."

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Author's Note:** Um...is it just me, or is ff . net being a bitch? I can't seem to use this ruler thingy majigy, so now I have to make my own lines. o.0; honestly. Maybe it's just me. Anyway, I might have made this chapter a little too short. I've been making a habit out of doing that lately. I dunno, maybe it's because I get bored reading one long chapter. I dunno, tell what you think.


	9. Part II: Ch9 The Closed Window

**Chapter 9 **

**The Closed Window **

She ran quickly into the darkness, sweat racing down her forehead. Her breath grew heavy and ragged. She was weakening.

There was no way out. No way of escaping what was to come. She was doomed.

Desperately, she clung to the walls for support as she staggered quickly away from the light. Her feet padded loudly against the slippery ground. She was going to fall.

A chill came over her. She was growing colder and colder with each passing minute. Soon she would be numb all over. Vapor rose into the air and quickly vanished from her mouth, leaving no trace of heat.

There were footsteps now. Loud footsteps approaching her. Something was drawing near.

She drew in a sharp breath and tried to quicken her pace. But in her weak and fragile state, she could barely walk, let alone run. Blindly, she wandered about in the darkness. She had nowhere else to run. They would find her soon.

The ground grew wetter as she pressed on into the darkness. It was getting more difficult not to fall. If only she were more careful with her footing…

"EYAAAH!"

There was a loud smack against the ground as her scream echoed throughout the tunnels.

Alarmed, she clamped her two hands over her mouth and bit her lower lip angrily. She had done it now! Now they were sure to find her! In terror, she pressed her frail body against the wall and curled her tiny frame into a ball. God, did it hurt to move. Every muscle in her body cried out in pain as she hugged her knees to her chest. But she fought off the pain as best as she could, biting down onto her lip even more. It was bad enough that she had already made a fatal mistake.

Silently, she let out a desperate moan and began to shake from the cold. It was then that she prayed…

* * *

The curtains were once again drawn securely around the large bed. All was silent now, and darkness came quickly. 

Antares glanced into the mirror in boredom, his chin resting against his knuckles. Unblinkingly, he stared at his reflection, uttering not a word. He let the silence engulf him, and in that silence he began to feel that longing…

Suddenly, a loud ringing emerged, destroying the perfection of silence.

Antares, his moment ruined, gave a soft sigh and slowly shifted his gaze from the mirror to the phone.

For a long time he allowed the phone to ring on endlessly, as if hoping whoever it was to just give up and leave him be. It, however, was not to be the case, and his fingers soon itched to pound the phone into a pulp. But he thought otherwise and slowly reached over to pick it up.

"You have some nerve," he spoke softly, raising the phone over his ear.

There was a soft chuckle from the other line. "Bad time?"

"It is _always_ a bad time," Antares answered coolly. "Your insistence on this cursed device is redundant. You are well aware of the capabilities you have without the use of this."

"Hmm, I just think it's more interesting using this. Reaching your mind is so tedious."

An irritated look rose up to his eyes, but Antares's face remained expressionless. "What do you want?

"You know well what I want, angel…and I have a proposition for you."

* * *

Red XIII awoke with the feeling of water soaking his fur. It was not a pleasant feeling. He opened his eyes and gave a small growl. His mouth felt dry and tasted coppery. Glancing at his surroundings, he soon noticed the fiery surroundings of the Cave of Gi were no more. Instead he was staring at a darkened tunnel, void of any color or light. 

_How did I get here?_ Red XIII thought to himself, sniffing the air. It stank of mold and rot, similar to that of the Cave of Gi.

"Owwww…that hurt…" Cait Sith said beside Red XIII. He was soaked as well, but his giant mog was no longer with him. In fact, it was nowhere to be found at all. Turning to glance at Red XIII, it asked, "Are we dead?"

Red XIII shook his head. "No, I don't think so, otherwise, we shouldn't be able to feel anything…right?"

Cait Sith responded with a shrug, shaking its head.

Red XIII continued to sniff the air, noticing a strange odor fill his nostrils. "Perhaps," he began, unsure of his conclusion, "we _have_ crossed over after all…"

"'Crossed over?!'" Cait Sith demanded, clearly alarmed. "What do you _mean_ 'crossed over'?"

"It means," Red XII said calmly, turning around to face the frightened cat, "that we are no longer among the living…"

It was then that Cait Sith and Red XIII heard voices...

* * *

"Goddamnit!! We're just as lost as when we first started!" 

Vincent and Barret turned to look at their distraught companion and exchanged looks.

"Your obscenities are really unnecessary, you know," Vincent grumbled, looking slightly irked.

"We're all going to rot in here. It's just a matter of time before I see little imps poking us with those pokers of theirs," Cid growled, stubbing his cigarette with his foot.

Vincent gave a sigh. "Your forms of punishment are quite strange. Still, we have no other alternative. We should just keep moving," he replied with a shrug. And with that said, he turned away from the grouchy pilot and moved on without another word.

Cid gave a disapproving grunt and followed Barret and Vincent, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Crap."

Barret shot Cid an irritated look. "What is it _this_ time?"

"I'm out of cigarettes."

* * *

Yuffie panted for breath and she leaned against the wall. "Just where the heck are you taking us?" she groaned with great difficulty, leaning her hands against her knees. 

The handsome stranger halted in his tracks and turned to look at Yuffie. "I am escorting you to safety," he replied, allowing Yuffie to catch her breath.

Cloud panted as well, feeling his muscles scream from all the strain. He was beginning to feel thirsty now, and the thought of speaking was becoming a tedious task.

"If you wish to rest, please do so. But I assure you, there should be a rest point just up ahead. If we leave now, we should reach it shortly," he said calmly. "The choice is yours."

Cloud met Yuffie's gaze and noticed her reluctant sigh. He watched as she slowly moved off the wall and stood up straight. When she was completely upright, Cloud turned to glance back at the stranger. "We'll take your word for it and keep going. The sooner we get out of here, the better."

He nodded. "Very well." And with that, he resumed his quick pace through the darkened tunnels.

Reluctantly, Cloud and Yuffie tagged along, saying very little to one another as their anxieties grew. But they were not to be disappointed as they watched the stranger pluck a sphere from his pocket and place it on a pedestal just a few feet away from a dead end. Soon the sphere began to glow, and within seconds, a bright light encircled them, blinding them momentarily. But as quickly as the light had come, it soon vanished, and Cloud and Yuffie found themselves staring out into a brilliantly lit pathway. Cautiously, the two stepped forward, observing their new surroundings.

"Whoa," Yuffie breathed out in wonder, realizing that she was now in the center of a vast marketplace. All around her people were bustling with life, pushing past one another and haggling amongst themselves for the best prices. The feeling reminded her greatly of home…

"Where are we?" Cloud asked, just as awe-struck as Yuffie.

"We are in Asellus," the gentleman answered, edging himself away from the crowd.

Once again Cloud heard Yuffie give an excited noise. Turning to glance at her, he noted a familiar glint in her eye. _That look_…"Don't even think about it," Cloud warned, watching the young ninja edging closer to a nearby stall.

Yuffie tore her gaze away from the shiny merchandise and shot Cloud an irritated glare. "Humph! You sure know how to ruin a girl's fun."

"You're not stealing anything. Yuffie," Cloud scolded, grabbing Yuffie's arm before she could get away.

Yuffie gave a disappointed sigh and reluctantly followed Cloud and the gentleman through the crowd. There would be plenty of time to steal later.

* * *

Tifa stared at the woman before her, her eyes widening in disbelief. "H-how did you…" she sputtered quietly. This woman knew her name, yet she was completely clueless about her. 

The woman smiled. "Oh, it's just something I know," she answered, her blue eyes sparkling.

"Where am I?"

The woman moved to clean the window with a cloth. "You're in Asellus, dear."

_Where?_ she wanted to know. She had never heard of such a place before. "How did I get here?"

"You were brought here, of course," came the simple reply. "You were found lying in the Labyrinth. Luckily, you were found beside a sphere point, so it was no trouble getting you out of harm's way."

_Labyrinth? Sphere? What is she talking about?_

Tifa looked at the woman in puzzlement. She was getting nowhere with this conversation. With a sigh, she moved off the bed and reached out towards the closed curtains.

"Oh! No, you mustn't!" the woman suddenly cried out in alarm, moving as far away from the window as possible.

Tifa's hand still remained on the curtains; however, she suddenly stopped in mid-action. "What's wrong? I just want to take a look outside, that's all."

But before she could do so, a hand fell over hers and gently pulled them away from the curtains.

"Tifa, there is one thing you must learn in this world. You are never to open the windows. The curtains are meant to be there for a reason. You must stay away from them," the woman said softly, a worried look on her face.

_Stay away from the windows? But why?_

As if reading her thoughts, the woman gave a reluctant sigh and shook her head. "I am sorry, Tifa. I am bound under contract only to attend to travelers. I do not hold the answers you seek."


	10. Part II: CH10 The Gentleman

**Author's Note:** Holy shit! It's been 3 years since I've updated. Crazy. I've written so much unfinished stuff I never get around to them anymore because either I lose all my drafts, or I've just been stressed about finding a job and graudating college. Ahhh, college, I'll miss thee soon. But anyway! I'm really sorry about not updating. Turns out I had more chapters I've never updated. But then again, I was supposed to update but no one ever really reviews these things anymore, so I've been holding out on you guys. ^---~*. Shame on me, I know but shame on YOOOOOOOOOOOOOU GUYS for at least not telling me what you think? I know I've prolly lost a great deal of fans, but meh, I'm only human and I have so many ubpublished stories that I just never get aroudn to finishing. Anyway, enjoy. **Review and I'll be good, I PROOOOOOOOOOOOOOMISE!!!**

Love, your favorite author who you all thought was probably lying in a ditch somewhere. For those of who who are familiar with my stuff and have stuck around with me since I was in 7th grade (wishful thinking), don't worry, I am planning to update a number of my stories, and even put up another one since it's been festering in my lappy for like 4 years now. Ha, I'll finish on e of these stories one day, when I'm like 40. ^----^;;;

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**The Gentleman**

"Hey, what _is_ this…_thing_?"

Yuffie prodded her finger at the strange object sitting on top of the vendor. It was a strangely shaped lantern containing a soft glowing light. Yet it didn't seem like the lantern was lit with flames. No, something else was causing the strange glow to appear.

"It's a soul lamp," the gentleman replied, standing beside Yuffie. "It traps the bad souls and harnesses its power to give off that glow. Very popular nowadays. The color of the glow indicates the fault of the soul."

Yuffie didn't quite know if he was joking or not. Just who in the world would put souls in a lamp for decoration?

"Please watch your step," the gentleman spoke up as he led Yuffie and Cloud to what appeared to be an inn.

As the two followed him inside, the door shut itself behind them, leaving them inside a nicely furnished living room. Yuffie jumped and accidentally knocked over a vase, causing it to shatter onto the floor.

"GYAH! Omigod! I'm so sorry!" the young ninja blurted out automatically, getting down on her knees.

But the gentleman seemed unperturbed by this and simply flicked his wrist. In an instant the broken shards began to gather together and then swirl into the air, before they were hurled into a burning fireplace nearby.

Awestruck, Yuffie's jaw dropped down considerably.

"Please make yourselves at home."

In an instant, Cloud and Yuffie suddenly found themselves sitting next to each other on a cushy sofa.

"It appears that you and your companions were separated," the gentleman remarked, taking a seat as well. "No matter. They should find their way here shortly."

Yuffie immediately shot Cloud a questioning look and tugged at his arm. "Companions? What's he talking about?" she whispered fiercely.

Cloud shook his head and shrugged. "Who knows. We don't have much of a choice. We're just going to have to trust him for now."

It was not the answer Yuffie wanted to hear. "You're way too trusting." And with that, she crossed her arms over her chest and fell silent.

* * *

She leaned against the wall, gasping for breath. She was so tired. Even breathing became a chore. If only someone would come to her aid…

_Somebody…anybody…please…help me…_

And with that, she fainted. She had lost too much blood.

* * *

_I want to forgive myself. I want to forget…_

Cid shot Vincent a curious glance, wondering what his pale companion was thinking. "What's the matter with you all of a sudden?"

Vincent looked up and turned to glance at the pilot. "You're awfully nosey," he commented quietly.

Cid shrugged. "So I am. What about it? With you brooding like that, a damn cow would get nosey," he remarked gruffly.

Vincent didn't reply. Instead, he closed his eyes and thought for a long moment. What was he brooding about? Wasn't Hojo's death enough? Wasn't the pleasure of killing him worth it?

"WATCH OUT!"

Before Barret, Vincent, and Cid could react, a gigantic blur of white streamed past them and careened head first against the wall, causing the ground to shake from the impact. Afterwards, something red ran past them and towards where the white 'thing' had crashed.

"Owwwwww, owwwwww!!!"

"What the fuck was that?!" Cid growled.

"Cait Sith! Are you alright?"

From the dented, giant mog, a black cat emerged, wobbling dizzily to where Red XIII stood. "M-meh…I'm okay…I'm…o…kay…" And with that, Cait Sith collapsed.

"What the hell is going on? How the hell did you guys get here?" Barret growled, looking just as shocked as Cid.

Red XIII nudged Cait Sith on the side to no avail. The cat was out cold. With a sigh, he shook his head and turned to look at the rest of his former companions. "We followed a path in the Cave of Gi. We heard voices, so we headed towards it. What about you guys?" he answered, moving to a sitting position.

Vincent shrugged. "We're not exactly sure. We all woke up and found ourselves here. Strange, isn't it?" he replied honestly.

"I see," Red XIII said slowly, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "So perhaps this _does_ lead to the underworld…"

Barret widened his eyes. "Wait…WHAT?! What'd you say?"

But before Red XIII could explain, his ears perked up, and he began to growl.

Vincent moved towards where Red XIII was and peered on ahead. "What is it? What do you sense?" he whispered quietly.

_"…somebody…"_

Cid gave a yelp and jumped back.

"_…anybody…please…"_

Vincent stepped forward, lifting his head up and closing his eyes. After a moment or so, he moved on ahead, peering through the darkness.

"Blood…I smell blood," Red XIII said quietly. "We should go." And with that, he picked Cait Sith up with his mouth and began to run.

Vincent, Cid, and Barret quickly followed, moving through the darkness with only Red XIII's tail as a source of light. As they dwelled deeper into the tunnels, the floor grew slippery, and it was growing difficult for Red XIII to sniff out the blood.

Suddenly, Barret swore and crouched down, motioning the group to come towards him.

The other three companions moved towards Barret and soon found a young woman curled up on the ground, unconscious. She was stark white and extremely thin. Almost all of the blood had been drained from her, and her lips were a strange, blue color.

Vincent knelt down beside Barret and felt the young woman's neck, searching for a pulse. There was none. Vincent shook his head and moved away. "She's dead."

"Wait!" Red XIII replied, stopping Vincent from moving away. "Look! She's breathing."

"Bullshit!" Cid cursed aloud. "She doesn't have a goddamn pulse. How the fuck is she breathing?"

Barret shook his head. "She's breathing. Maybe her pulse was too faint for Vincent to feel. Anyway, we can't leave her here. We gotta get her some help."

Everyone nodded in silent agreement and began to head out once again. Because Vincent had been the closest, he carefully lifted the girl from the ground and inspected her wounds.

"Goddamn!" Cid cursed once again, noticing the young woman's dress soaked completely in blood. "How the hell did she survive that kind of a blow?" he demanded, eyeing the deep cut that ran from her left shoulder to the side of her stomach.

Vincent carefully set the woman down on the ground and tore a strip of his cape. He then wrapped the strip of cloth around the woman's wound. Afterwards, he proceeded to remove the rest of his cape and draped it around the girl's shivering frame.

Barret scratched the back of his head and cleared his throat. "Even if we do help her, where are we supposed to take her?"

Vincent shook his head. "No idea. But it's best if we take her with us. If she comes around, hopefully she'll know a way out.

* * *

Yuffie nervously fidgeted in her seat, shooting the gentleman hostile glances every so often. Finally, not taking the silence any longer, she burst out, "So who the heck are you anyway?! The least you could do is introduce yourself!"

The gentleman slowly looked at her for a moment before answering. "It's Crux," he said quietly, looking coolly at the young ninja.

"Crux…" Yuffie repeated quietly to herself, wondering to herself why the name sounded so familiar. She had known someone with that name once. But who?

"And you are?" Crux asked, leaning against the wall.

"Yuffie," she replied quickly, jumping to her feet.

Crux looked the ninja over for a long moment before speaking up once again. "Ah, Godo's little girl. You've grown."

"You knew my old man?" Yuffie asked, scowling. Why couldn't she remember where she had seen Crux before?

Crux shrugged. "We met…once. It was a long time ago," he replied simply, as if eager to put an end to the conversation.

Realizing she wasn't going to get any real answers from him, Yuffie sighed and shut her mouth. Slumping back in her seat, she began to stare out into space, wondering who this Crux really was.

Crux's gaze soon wandered elsewhere, and eventually met cold, MAKO blue eyes. "And you must be…Cloud."

Cloud blinked for a few seconds, shocked that this complete stranger had known who he was. "H-how…"

"She talks about quite frequently. She's quite proud of you, you know."

Before Cloud could ask him what he had meant by that, he soon caught sight of a blonde figure moving quickly past the corner of his eye. But as he turned to look at where the figure had been, there was no one there.

"Cloud?"

He knew that voice. It was a voice he thought he would never hear again. Turning around to face the speaker, he immediately froze in place. "Tifa…"

There was a look of disbelief on her pretty face as she, too, stood where she was, just a step away from the bottom of a wooden staircase. "…So it is you…" she whispered quietly, a hesitant look rising to her face.

"…y-you're alive."

Tifa held a puzzled look on her face. "Why wouldn't I be?" And with that, she paused, not knowing what else to say. Finally, she broke into a smile. "It's been awhile…"

As Cloud and Tifa exchanged small talk, Yuffie shot both of them frustrated looks. Finally, when Cloud and Tifa simply stared at one another, she made a disgusted looking face and jumped out of her seat. "Oh for crying out loud, somebody make a move here! You're killing me!"

"Yuffie!" Tifa exclaimed, finally noticing the ninja. Her face suddenly looked relieved as she found someone else to focus on. "You're here, too! What are you doing here?"

Yuffie made a face as she rubbed her temple. "Well, that's a good question. The truth is, I can't remember a thing except waking up to some weird cave. The weirdest part was that Cloud was there also."

Tifa shot Cloud and inquiring gaze.

Cloud nodded in agreement. "It's true. We both woke up in the same place at the same time. None of us seem to be able to recall what happened before that though," he explained with a shrug. "What about you?"

Before Tifa could reply, Crux spoke up. "I found her in the Labyrinth unconscious. I brought her here, just like I brought the two of you here."

Tifa glanced over to her side and recognized familiar violet eyes gazing at her. "So you're Crux," she remarked aloud, moving towards him. "I never had the chance to properly thank you for saving me." She held up a hand and gave him a smile. "My name is Tifa. Thank you for rescuing me."

Crux shook her hand briefly and nodded. "It was no trouble." He turned to face Yuffie and Cloud and waved a hand, causing the fireplace to suddenly catch fire. "Please do make yourselves comfortable. I can tell that all of you have many questions that have yet to be answered. However, I have other errands to run at the moment, so I must go." And with that, Crux walked over towards the door and left without saying another word.

Exchanging looks, Cloud and Tifa slowly sunk onto seats and remained silent for a long time. Finally, when the silence became almost unbearable, Cloud finally looked up at Tifa. "Are you hurt?"

Tifa shook her head, staring intently at the burning hearth. "No, I'm alright. Just a little bruised, that's all."

"So where are we, anyway?" Yuffie asked abruptly, nursing one of her injured arms.

"Asellus," Tifa answered automatically without thinking.

"Asellus?" Cloud asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tifa nodded, a small scowl rising to her face. "That's what the woman told me. But I've never heard of such a place before."

"I have…" Yuffie remarked softly, staring out into space. She seemed to be in a trance-like state, her expression suddenly becoming blank. "He was here once…"

"Yuffie?"

"Rigel…" Yuffie's eyes suddenly rolled to the back of her head, and she collapsed in a dead faint.

Immediately, Cloud and Tifa jumped out of their seats and ran over to their fallen companion.

"Yuffie! What's wrong?" Tifa asked, shaking her gently in order to wake her.

Cloud shook his head as he felt Yuffie's forehead. "She's running a fever. With all that's happened, I forgot she was wounded. She might have an infection." And with that, he lifted her up and stood. "Is there some place she can lie down?"

"Use my room. Up the stairs, seventh one to your right," Tifa replied, getting up as well. "I'll go get help."


End file.
